By middle school and high school, most students in the U.S. are familiar with the terms MRI and CT scan. Chances are, they know these diagnostic imaging tools are used when physicians need to see parts of the body in a different light. But do they understand the underlying physics of biomedical imaging? Do they […]
When teachers have opportunities to actively participate in and “try on” ambitious science teaching strategies, they have more confidence and feel more prepared to engage their students in meaningful, three-dimensional science learning. This is one of the primary findings shared by ISP Instructional Specialists Heather Milo and Alex Gerber, co-authors of “Learning to Be an […]
“Science is something you do, not a bunch of stuff you memorize.” Longtime biology teacher Jessica Rowe has always believed this, and she’s thrilled to be able to start biology classes for freshmen and sophomores at Francis Howell Central High School with an experience that is all about doing. They just need microscopes and an introduction […]
Jacky Bransome is neither a scientist nor a teacher. But she happens to know that fireflies aren’t the best way to explain chemiluminescence to students living in her part of the world. Turns out that fireflies aren’t a thing in Gillingham, UK. It’s one of many fun facts she’s picked up over the years through […]
When approached with the opportunity to watch videos of herself guiding a classroom of eighth graders through a science lesson, Jennifer Steimel was less than enthusiastic. “I totally dreaded it at first,” admits Steimel, who joined the staff at Brittany Woods Middle School (BWMS) in University City in Fall 2022 armed with nine years of […]
Science teacher Jaime Schneider has earned a reputation for herself. Students come to her class expecting something phenomenal, and she’s happy to deliver. Where else in the building can a seventh grader get a chance to set methane bubbles on fire or generate mystic-looking fog with dry ice and a bucket? “I always start with […]
“Science is something we do.” For longtime high school science teacher David Ganey, the key to engaging students in a deeper understanding of science in the real world lies in focusing on what they can see, touch and feel. “What exactly does an environmental scientist do?” he asks. “You can tell students about it, or […]
Roughly 22 years into his career, Brendan Kearney knows one thing for certain: teaching science is his jam. “I’ve always loved science, and teaching the subject ignited my passion,” says Kearney, who teaches science – and only science – to third, fourth and fifth graders at Glenridge Elementary in Clayton. For the next school year, […]
It’s mid-July and in a fourth-floor lab at Washington University in St. Louis, Brittany Daugs, sporting goggles and a mask, is carefully cutting silicon pieces into squares and laying them out on glass gel plates. “I am preparing silicon-coated substrates that will become electro-deposited with bismuth selenide,” she explains. “We will then investigate the growth, […]
The Institute for School Partnership (ISP) at Washington University in St. Louis has launched a comprehensive COVID-19 curriculum. The free unit boasts both synchronous and asynchronous elements and helps students understand the history of infectious disease, the nature of COVID-19, the power and limitations of modeling and the importance of scientific literacy. “This unit gives educators […]